As Indy filmmakers and fans of indie films, most of us would have to take some serious time to count if we were asked how many indie movies we had seen last year. However, for many Americans, this requires less thought because of how many they've seen as much as it is how few they've seen. It is my distinct opinion that the independent film genre is the most overlooked by our blatantly blasé mainstream society. While it is true that more and more Americans are expanding their boundaries every year, especially with the growth of video on the web and recent shows like "On the Lot", there are still a very large demographic of people who survive only on products generated by the Hollywood machine.
When talking to people who fall into this latter category, my favorite thing is the inquisitive look I get when I mention the latest indie movie I have seen and then the proverbial “Never heard of it,” that follows. This is the question that plagues me as a self proposed movie fanatic. These movies tend to have richer story lines and the heart and soul of their creator coursing through them. I have a new fondness for independent movies after self appointing myself to promotions for the movie, Gamers (who's MFM critique can be read here), which I saw at a small film festival at a gaming convention last year. As I watched it, I truly began to realize just how much Indy films deserve respect.
My most recent production promotion has to do with The Indywood Project. I first heard about the project through my travels in myspace. I know what most of you might be thinking, that myspace is for depraved weirdos and psychopaths. Not the case, I have used it as a tool to make contacts within the film industry for quite awhile now.
What intrigued me most about Indywood was that it wasn’t trying to be something it was not. It was a genuine guy, AD Lane, trying to make an incredible dream come true. He is going to make a movie in 2008 called “The Invasion of the Not Quite Dead.” It will be funded by folks like you and I. No private investors or studio backing. The are using donations from movie fans to fund an actual movie, what a concept. The target budget stands at $120,000.
Because of the creative way in which the filmmaker was raising funds, I pitched the idea that I do an interview with AD Lane for Microfilmmaker Magazine and Jeremy graciously agreed to publish the article. While the budget they're striving for is four times larger than the deadline budget for microfillmakers, the funding approach would work on a smaller budget. [Editor's Note: In fact, recently a company called Media Moghul released a nationalized version for fundraising that is fairly similar to Indywood's methods. You can read the interview we did with their founder here.]
Another interesting part of this project is the Johnny Depp petition, which is gaining a large number of signatures around the US and UK. It would be a big boost for the movie if they were able to get someone as well-known as Johnny to do a cameo in the movie, especially since he lives in the UK when he's not making films. We’ll just have to wait and see how that one plays out though.
2007 is the year of the producer square and I have been making donations of $20 dollars on an off for weeks now. It is not only an opportunity to be a part of something amazing, but it gets the person that donates so much more. Those who donatel get a producer credit in the movie, their own free profile square on the Indywood website, and a chance to win 10% of potential budget raised. For those doing the math that is $12,000 dollars. Last, but not least, the part I am jazzed about, producers can have a walk on role in the movie as an alien zombie.
So what is the premise of this new movie venture? According to AD Lane on his website: “In 1978 the Welsh mountains are infected by alien bacteria. 28 years later a small community must face the threat of an alien invasion of the NOT QUITE dead variety in this ULTIMATE Zom B-movie.”
When I became involved, the site had specified that the walk on role was for UK residents. I was at work one day and I thought “Well, what if I paid to go over to the UK to be an extra in the movie?” I e-mailed AD, who was very gracious and he said that if I was willing to pay my way there he’d put me in the movie, full alien zombie make-up and all. That put me over the moon because my own personal dream has always been to be in a movie and what could be cooler than being a zombie? That is my goal now for 2007, to save up the money to fly to the UK so that I can be part of the movie.
Now let's get on with the interview.
